Happy New Year....and a hospitalization :(

We had a great New Year's at the Povah house. Papa and Gwen offered to have the kids spend the night New Year's Eve, so Adam and I went out to dinner with Alicia and TJ, then met the Varcoe's out at Blue Moon Piano Bar. We had a blast and it was great to have a night out with friends. The kids also had a great night. Papa got the twins new sleeping bags (Princesses for Aubs and Toy Story for Owen) and they thought they were awesome. Gwen bought New Year's party hats and whistles and they had a party. Everyone went to bed by 8:30 and it was smooth sailing. I wasn't sure what to expect since it was the kids' first time staying the night there, but they liked it. Heck, dad even told me the kids were spending the night there again in a couple of weeks...ok, by me!

The week after New Year's was rough, and that's putting it mildly. Aiden started getting really sick...coughing, low grade fevers, irritable and refusing to sleep at night. We ended up taking him to see Dr. Secory twice that week, but both times he said it was just a bad viral infection. I knew something else was up, because Aiden was a totally different kid. It was miserable. On Friday morning Aubrey woke up with a 104 degree temp and started vomiting. Adam was out of town and I had two out of three kids really sick. I was exhausted. We took Aubs in and she tested positive for a UTI, gave us some meds, and we were on our way. She couldn't keep the meds down, so I ended up taking her to a walk-in clinic where they gave her a strong antibiotic shot. The next morning her temp was still really high and she continued to vomit, so the doctor recommended we take her to the ER. She ended up getting admitted to Blank Children's Hospital that day. Her white blood cell count was super elevated and she was very dehydrated, so she spent the next 36 hours hooked up to IV's. The UTI probably turned into a kidney infection, which is why she was so sick. We had lots of visitors in the hospital, Papa and Gwen, Mimi and Papa Mark, Brendan and Leigh, GG, GG Darci and Mike and Chris, Melissa and Taylor made it down on Sunday after she was discharged. It was a long Saturday, but by Sunday afternoon she was acting so much more alert and happy. She barely got to go home Sunday since she wasn't eating, but her nurse convinced the residents that she was drinking now, so she would probably start to eat the next day.

showing mom her IV in the ER

Now, she seems to back to normal and we will see her pediatric nephrologist in February to see if her reflux has improved, stayed the same or gotten worse. I'm not looking forward to that day of testing and appointments, but it needs to be done. We've made it 18 months since her last infection, so it will be interesting to see what the results tell us.

I took Aiden into the ENT on Monday and he diagnosed him with a upper respiratory infection (no surprise by me) and put him on some antibiotics. Within a day, he was already better, thank God.

Since all the sickness, we've been enjoying a mild January. We took the kids to the Botanical Center on Saturday morning then to the Y for swimming in the afternoon.

The kids have been great to be home with lately. I only worked about 5 days in the past month, so we've spent a lot of quality time together :)

eating some cookie dough!

Merry Christmas from the Povah's!

So, Christmas has come and gone already this year, and the Povah children had an amazing holiday. We started our Elf of the Shelf on Thanksgiving night, so Diddle (our elf) flew to Santa every evening to give him a report of their behavior. Each morning the kids would wake up and look for him (he lands in a new spot each day). Even Aiden would say, "Where's Diddle?" You can't touch Diddle or he will lose his magic, so all three kids reminded us of that everyday to not touch him. They love that little elf and are already excited to see him again next Christmastime.

Christmas Eve was fabulous. We went to mass at 3 pm (and we lasted 3/4 of the way through the service). The kids were all over the place, but we tried :) After church, we came home and opened presents with Papa, Brendan and Leigh. The kids got new bikes, princesses, trains, a sled, movies and Notre Dame clothes and stocking hats. Chris, Melissa and Taylor came down in time for dinner and the kids exchanged gifts then we ate dinner. I had a lasagna recipe a physician gave me that his wife uses (it's an authentic South Side Italian recipe) that called for homemade sauce....I made it and it was pretty good, maybe a little too salty for my taste, but still good. We (not the kids) drank wine and had a blast.

Christmas morning the kids came running out of their rooms to see if Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk (he did) and to see their presents. Aubrey got the movie "Tangled" which was what she's been asking for since Disney on Ice. Aiden got some blocks and Owen got "Toy Story" which we have all seen 10 times now. Their big gift was a train set and table from Santa. They also got numerous other gifts from us, but they're so stinkin' spoiled, I can't even list them all out. Papa, Gwen, Great-Grandma Margaret, Brendan and Leigh came over for brunch around 10 a.m. After that, we all took naps :) then headed to Mimi and Papa Mark's house. The kids got crazy spoiled, but had a blast! They came home with new clothes, an easel, drum set, play tent, cars, dolls...etc! Overall, it was a great Christmas and we can't wait until next year!

Where has Decemeber gone?!

Ahhh, this month has flown by! I'm so far behind on my posts, it's driving me crazy! December was a busy month for the Povah kiddos. We had some friends over to decorate cookies the first weekend of December. The kids had a blast frosting the cookies then playing in the basement with the kids.

We also went and visited Santa..which was NOT a hit. Aiden freaked out as soon as we went to put him on his lap, which led the twins to cry as well. We're not fans of making the kids sit on his lap when they're screaming bloody murder, so another year without a photo of Santa and the Povah trio. Maybe next year :) They did ride on the train at the mall, which they loved, so that made up for our trip to see the jolly, old man.

We also got to see Nana and Papa Jim for a little while this month. They came up to Boone to see Taylor in the Nutcracker and spend time with David and Katy's new baby. We went up to Chris and Melissa's and the kids played over there then a few days later Jim and Nikki came down to our house. It was nice to see them and the kids are starting to remember who they are when they come up to visit.

We had a crazy, fun Christmas (which I will save for a post for tomorrow, because I'm way too exhausted to do it tonight)! Here's some of the latest pictures of the kids...

spanky loves to be naked!

...and again

who's missing?

decorating a gingerbread house with mommy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. We started out the day at Gwen's brother, Sam's house. The kids had a great time playing with their golden retriever and running around their yard. The weather was AMAZING and we had a great time playing outside. After naptime, we went to GG's house for another meal. Food was great and we stayed until 6 p.m. and the kids were wiped! Friday was a fun day...Aubs and I got to see Disney on Ice with Amy and Berkley. She had a great time watching all the characters skate around. The boys all went bowling and Adam said they had the most fun running all over the place, rather than trying to bowl, but in a few years they will love to go bowling.  The kids spent the night at Mimi and Papa Mark's house on Saturday night, so we could do dinner and drinks with some friends (thank you!). Overall, it was a great weekend, just busy as always.

mama and princess aubs before disney on ice

the girls!

"i want an owl headband too.." -owen

practicing our downward dog!

We started our "Elf on a Shelf" this year. His name is Diddle and the kids love him. There was even a TV special on it, so I taped Owen's response when the elf falls to the ground and loses his magic. It's priceless!



Off to see Santa tonight...we'll see how that goes :)

Fall Photos...

So, this is a quick entry, but I wanted to get the kids' Fall photos up before I forget to do it. Amy took their pictures a couple of weeks ago and they turned out fabulous (granted I'm biased, but she does AMAZING work). Owen and Aubrey are 2 1/2 and Aiden is 18 months...can't believe how fast time has flown by. Owen was all about getting his picture taken and Aubrey and Aiden were a little indifferent to the whole ordeal.

Ahh, they love each other :)

More to come soon!

New Beds

After dealing with two toddlers that slept on the floor rather than their toddler beds for 4 months, we decided to purchase two twin beds in hope they would choose a cozy, warm bed, rather than the cold, hard floor....the verdict...YES!!! Thank goodness! I found super cute jack and Jill bedding at Pottery Barn on a killer sale and we got the beds at Homemakers. The headboards were bright red metal (not gonna do), so I spray painted one pink and the other brown...actually turned out pretty cute! The twins love them and now we struggle with a certain 18 month old who thinks he too needs a bed, not a crib anymore.

Now, we need to work on getting rid of pacifiers...ugh, really not looking forward to that fight. I have three kiddos that love those stupid pacis, so it really might be a brawl in our house for a few days.

On other news, Aiden had his 18 month check-up two weeks ago an he has dropped down into the 40th percentile for weight...following Owen's footsteps. He doesn't look skinny, but he has leaned out and is started to look more toddler-like and less baby-like :( He is easily saying many 2 word sentences and has started throwing some mad temper tantrums. Boo!

Owen has really been enjoying the terrible two's lately. He's gotten a little wild and resistant to authority. Last week at Fareway he climbed the beer wall and stood on top, yelling that he was stuck. My friend Amy and her two kids were with me and even she was embarrassed. Wasn't my finest parenting moment. On a good note, his vocabulary has soared the past couple of months and has turned into quite the talker. When he's one on one with us, he is the most fun loving little boy, we just need to work on the rest of the time :)

Miss Aubrey is starting to get excited because she gets to go to Disney on Ice with Amy, Berkley and I next Friday. Zach won tickets to it and they were so nice to offer two tickets to us. The boys are going to go bowling and have some guy time, while Amy and I take the princesses to an afternoon of fun! Owen is obsessed with chasing after Jackson, so he will have a blast bowling and running around.

Heading off to Monkey Joe's to bounce around this afternoon. Should be a good time and they kids are pumped. Next week is crazy busy with Thanksgiving, Disney on Ice and I'm going to the newest Twilight movie with some friends...woo hoo! We will probably hit up Santa at Valley West Mall next weekend, so I'm anxious to see how that turns out.

Cheese!

This is what happens with your twin is a girl.

I LOVE cake pops!

Some New Funnies from Miss Aubrey

Aubrey is a talker...weird, I don't know where she gets it :) Here's some of the funny things she's come up with lately...


1. "I just peed in the tub!"
2. When asked about giving up her pacifier.."Paci can just take a nap in my mouth."
3. "I'm pooping a lot today."
4. "Owen, you're driving me crazy!"
5. "Find a new home, Lola."
6. "Aiden, damn it." (Thanks Adam for saying this in front of Aubs in response to Aiden dumping his plate on the floor).
7. "I peed, I peed, I peed my pants mama."
8. "Papa shoot reindeer in his house." (Papa Bill has some deer heads on display in his basement...enough said).
9. "I look so cute! I'm adorable!"
10. "Grow up boys!" (Owen and Aiden were pushing her nerves that day).

She's one funny cat!